“You and I belong to a species with a remarkable ability: we can shape events in each other’s brains with exquisite precision. That ability is Language. Simply by making sounds with our mouths, we can reliably cause precise new combinations of ideas to arise in each other’s minds. The ability comes so naturally that we are apt to forget what a miracle it is.”
We all know the words that Freemasonry is;
“A System of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”
We understand what is meant by Morality. We also know that using Allegory to teach, is as old as human storytelling, but why is our system illustrated by Symbols? As a starting point, I ask; What is the most common form of symbolism? The answer is “language”. Professor Steven Pinker, Canadian-American Cognitive Scientist and MIT Psychologist says;
“You and I belong to a species with a remarkable ability: we can shape events in each other’s brains with exquisite precision. That ability is Language. Simply by making sounds with our mouths, we can reliably cause precise new combinations of ideas to arise in each other’s minds. The ability comes so naturally that we are apt to forget what a miracle it is.”
Star Family:
Definition “The peoples who were of the bloodline of God’s kings and priests from the time of KS whose divine duty was to create a new world order to guide humankind to is ultimate destiny”.
This remarkable ability drives our ritual. When a Brother tells us the traditional history, if we are listening, that story comes to life in our minds. So, language itself is a very effective symbol. So, why don't we simply illustrate our system of morality using plain statements of truth? Why not simply and completely define our "system of morality"?
Well, when you define something in words, you also place limits on it. Let's use a simple allegory to explain. All mathematics are written in symbols; our numbers are, in themselves, symbols for quantities. OK, that's simple enough, so now take algebra.
Algebra uses a symbol for a symbol, by expressing quantities as letters, instead of numbers. In the algebraic equation “a + b = c” any quantity may be assigned to any one, or any two of the letters and the equation can still be true. Thus for “a + b = 100” to be true, a can be any number from 1 to 100. But note that by replacing just one symbol with a known quantity, therefore defining it, we have already limited the equation.
Go a step further and replace a second symbol and we have two defined quantities. Lets say a = 1. This creates the expression 1 + b = 100 and the necessity for b as a symbol completely disappears; it can only equal 99. So you can see that definition of any symbol limits its scope, and therefore limits the scope of the system of symbols being used.
By using symbols, we are carrying on a long tradition of this teaching method. We use symbols in the same way the Mystery Schools of old used symbols, partly to conceal their teachings and partly to arouse curiosity to know their meaning.
The framers of our Masonic system were obviously very aware of all this and thus ensured that our symbols were not closely defined. Because of this, we are unable to place undue limits on their interpretation, thereby preventing the creation of a rigid Freemasonic Dogma. It is therefore possible for each Freemason to read his own concepts of truth into the symbols.
No matter what the background, culture, education or religion of a Freemason, each symbol can speak to him with great personal meaning. This is one reason that Freemasonry appeals to people from all over the globe.
The late Jacob Tatche, a noted Masonic historian wrote:
“Freemasonry permits each individual to interpret and apply the lessons of the Craft as he sees best. It is this unique spirit of tolerance and freedom which frequently confuses opponents of the Fraternity (and at times some of us within the fraternity too). One Mason places his interpretation upon a certain symbol or attribute of Freemasonry; another may take an entirely different view, and will cite evidence with which a third may be in entire variance; yet these three men can gather about our altars and labour together in perfect amity.”
Albert Pike expressed the same thought in a different way:
“Masonry follows the ancient manner of teaching. Her symbols are the instructions she gives; and the lectures are but often partial and insufficient one-sided endeavours to interpret those symbols. He who would become an accomplished Mason, must not be content merely to hear or even to understand the lectures, but must, aided by them, study, interpret and develop the symbols for himself.”
So now we can see that there is a very good reason for not closely defining our symbols. but this does not
really explain why Freemasonry veils in allegory and conceals in an object or picture a meaning quite different from its name. Why we express equality by using the level, immortality with acacia, or brotherly love with a trowel. But there is an explanation why this great system of truth, philosophy and ethics is hidden in symbols and why our ritual refers us to other symbols and suggests that they are important, and can help us to understand further or better.
To help explain it I quote Joseph Fort Newton who said;
“The old time Masons did not need to go to hidden teachers to learn mysticism. The lived and worked in the light of it. It shone in their symbols. It is the soul of symbolism that every emblem expresses a reality too great for words. Masonry is mystical, as music is mystical, like poetry, love, faith and prayer, and all else that makes it worth our time to live. But its mysticism is sweet, sane and natural, far from fantastic, in no wise eerie, unreal, or unbalanced. Of course, these words fail to describe as all words must, and it is therefore why Masonry uses symbols.”
Newton suggests that some things can not be expressed sufficiently using words; that there are other, less obvious ways of understanding. Masonry, by its very structure and content of the three craft degrees, suggests that humans have a triple nature.
We have a physical body, and senses which bring us into contact with, and translate the meanings of, the physical world of earth, air, fire and water which is all around us. We have a brain and mind through which we can reason and understand the physical matters of which our senses inform us. And we have Something Beyond. You may call it soul, heart, imagination, personal unconscious, inner being, true self, spirit, or any other name that feels right for you. It is something which is allied to, but not really a part of, our reason. It is connected with the physical side of life directly, and only through our sensory contacts.
This true self comprehends a language which the reason of the brain does not comprehend. The keenest of minds of history have striven without success to make this mystic language plain to reason.
When you hear music which brings tears to your eyes, grief or joy to your heart, or a shiver down your spine, you are responding to a language your brain does not understand and cannot explain. It is not with your brain that you love your child or your wife; and the language with which that love is understood is not the language of the tongue.
A symbol is a word in that language. Words appeal to the rational mind; but with a little instruction and practice we gradually understand that symbols appeal directly to the true self. If you translate that symbol into words which appeal only to the mind, then the full deeper meaning of the symbol is lost.
That which can be set down in words on a page cannot express the full or true spirit of our fraternity. If we depend on words alone Freemasonry would not have such a universal appeal. Freemasonry expresses truths which are universal; it expresses them in a symbolic language, universally understood by all men without words. That language is the language of the symbol, and the symbol is universally understood because it is the direct means of communication between spirits, souls, hearts, true selves.
Freemasonry employs symbols to speak directly to our imagination, or our true self. We appeal to the imagination when communicating a truth which is neither mental or physical, and the symbol is the means by which one imagination speaks to another. Nothing else seems to be as effective; no words can do it (unless they are themselves symbols); no teachings expressed in spoken or written language can be as easily learned and absorbed as those which come via the symbol.
If you only hear or read the words of Freemasonry, you miss the true meaning entirely. This is the difficulty for the profane, or the uninitiated. Unless one has been immersed in our symbols through the experience of our rituals, and not just watching, but performing them, they appear to have little meaning at all. This is why the symbols seem to mean more and more to each of us as we progress in Masonry. The more contact we have with our symbols, the more we practice, the more we try to explain them to our brothers following the path behind us, the more they speak to us. When I became a JW and had to learn the Working Tools Lecture for each degree, a whole new layer of meanings for these symbols spoke to me, and so it continues.
Most symbols have many layers of interpretation which do not contradict but rather amplify each other. The square is a symbol of perfection, of rectitude of conduct, of honour, of honesty, of good work. These are all different, and yet allied. The square is never a symbol of wrong, or evil, or meanness or dishonour. Ten different men may read ten different meanings into a square, and yet each meaning fits with, and works with the other meanings, and each will be right for him.
Different men have different imaginations and different abilities to comprehend. So each takes from a symbol what he can, and using his imagination, he translates to his soul as much of that truth as he is able to make a part of him. This we cannot do with truths expressed in words. Freemasonry uses symbols because only by them can the Craft speak and teach in the language of the soul. Symbols form the only language which is elastic, and the only one by which soul can be directly touched. Freemasonry without symbols would not be Freemasonry.
Almost all Masonic symbols have more than one recognized meaning, but as a rule only one (often the simplest) is described in any one part of the ritual. Each brother is encouraged to discover other, perhaps deeper meanings, by studying the hidden mysteries and making a daily advance in his Masonic knowledge. An undefined and therefore unlimited truth results from the slow growth in meaning and understanding of a symbol not tied down by confining words. Thus the reason for illustrating our “system of morality” by symbols may be summed up as follows.
The well defined symbol has a truth that is as broad as the words used to define it. The undefined symbol is as broad in meaning as the mind and heart can understand or imagine.
You are invited to bear in mind that all meanings attributed to symbols are, to some extent, personal to the one who first defined it or the group to which it had a specific meaning. A particular explanation or meaning may resonate to some brothers, but perhaps not to others. Over time we all see and hear different meanings attributed to our symbols, and a Freemason who understands the true nature of his craft would not allow himself to reject out-of-hand the meaning or explanation assigned by any group, society or Brother, but look at that meaning to see if there is something in it for him; perhaps different, perhaps modified, but meaningful for him."
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Introduction
From the earliest masonic documents currently known to us, we can form a decent picture of the workings of a lodge of operative stone masons around the late 1300s.1 In this paper I will briefly try to give an overview of the workings of an early lodge, as well as touch on some masonic myths and legends of our early brethren.
In those days, there were no separate degrees. The Third Degree had not yet been instituted and apprentices were not formally admitted into the lodge. The only real admission ceremony they had was for fellows of the craft.2
The Admission of Fellows
Once a young man had served his apprenticeship, he applied to become a fellow. He would attend a meeting of the fellows of the craft, possibly with other apprentices also seeking to be admitted as fellows. What followed was a very simple ceremony; mostly a narration by a senior fellow of the craft reading from a special document, which has since become known as the Manuscript Constitutions.
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The Manuscript Constitutions opened with a prayer, followed by an introduction to the night’s proceedings. This included a mention of the importance and antiquity of the craft, a mention of the charge which would later be read, and a recommendation that all present heed it well.
"Good Bretheren and Fellowes: Our purpose is to tell you how and in what manner this worthy science of Masonry was begun, and afterwards how it was favoured by worthy Kings and Princes, and by many other worshipful men. And also, to those that be willing, wee will declare the Charge that belongeth to any true Mason to keep for in good faith. And ye, have good heed thereto; it is well worthy to be well kept for a worthy craft and a curious science. For there be Seaven liberall Sciences, of the which seaven it is one of them."
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That last sentence serves as a segue into the next section which explains the seven liberal arts and sciences. There is an assertion that all of the liberal sciences are dependent to some extent on geometry, and that masonry is geometry.
The Traditional History
This then sets us up for the bulk of the piece: the Traditional History. It traces the often mythical history of the craft, commencing with the creation of the liberal arts, pioneering moments in the development of geometry and architecture, biblical stories, and a sketchy history of masonry in England culminating in the creation of our fraternity. A typical rendition of the Traditional History would include the following developments:5
Children of Lamech and the Birth of the Sciences
Before Noah’s flood there was a man call Lamech. Lamech had two wives; Adah and Zilla. By Adah, he had two sons; Jabal and Jubal. By Zilla he had a son named Tubal Cain and a daughter named Naamah. These four children founded the beginning of all sciences in the world.
The eldest son Jabal pioneered the science of Geometry, and he “departed flocks of sheepe and lambs in the field, and first wrought house of stone and tree.”6 His Brother Jubal gets the credit for inventing music. Tubal Cain was the first artificer in metals, and his sister Naamah the craft of weaving.
The Preservation, Discovery and Dissemination of all Knowledge
These children apparently knew that God would take vengeance for sin, either by fire or by water. They set about recording their sciences in two pillars, one of brick to survive fire, and one of marble to survive the flood.
Sure enough the pillar of marble did survive the flood, and was apparently discovered by none other than Hermes Trismegistus.
For those not familiar with Hermes Trismegistus, or Hermes the Thrice Great, he is a mythical figure most frequently associated with divine wisdom. He was considered to be:
Thoth, the Egyptian god of knowledge
Hermes, the Greek messenger of the gods, and
The Roman god, Mercury.
Hermes learnt the foundation of all knowledge from the marble pillar, developed that knowledge, and spread it amongst mankind.
The Babylonian Roots of the Craft
From there we are left to assume that the knowledge of Hermes made its way to Babylon. Apparently Nimrod, the king of Babylon formed the first masonic lodge. He brought masons together, had them elect a master from amongst themselves, submit to a set of charges, and swear an obligation, before sending them off to work in another city.
"At the making of the Tower of Babylon, there was Masonry first made much of. And the King of Babylon that was Nimrod was a mason himself, and loved well the science as it is said with masters of histories. And when the City of Nineveh and other cities of the East should be made, Nimrod the King of Babylon sent hither three score masons at the rogation of the King of Nineveh, his cousin. And when he sent them forth he gave them a charge in this manner. And this was the first time that ever Masons had any charge of his science. The first was that they should be true to their King, Lord or Master that they served and that they should Ordain the most wise and cunning man to be Master of the King or Lords work that was amongst them, and neither for Love, Riches nor favour to set another that had little cunning to be Master of that Work whereby the Lord should be ill served And the Science ill Defamed. Secondly that they should call the Governor of the Work Master all the time they wrought with him and other many more Charges that were too long to write, and for the keeping of all those Charges he made them swear a great Oath which men used at that time. And ordained for them reasonable pay that they might live with honesty, and also he gave them in Charge that they should Assemble together every year once to see how they might Work best to serve the King or Lord for their profit and their own Workship, And also that they should correct within themselves those that had Trespassed against the Science or Craft."7
A few versions of the Manuscript Constitutions mention details of the legend of the tower of Babylon. In it the Babylonians sought to build a tower ridiculously high to show off their knowledge of architecture and masonry. This blatant lack of humility enraged God to the point of confounding their language. The interruption of the work brought about by the confusion of tongues, caused the dispersion of the builders. The workers spread out to foreign lands, taking their knowledge of masonry with them.
Masonry in Egypt: Euclid’s Role
Abraham had attained a wealth of masonic knowledge, and was an expert in the seven liberal arts and sciences. He travelled to Egypt with his pupil, Euclid, who likewise became a master of such knowledge.
At this time in Egypt, the lords or rich men had a vast amount of sons. Unemployment became a big issue for them, and a plea went out offering a reward for anyone who could put these young men to work.
Euclid laid a proposition on the table. So long as he was to be in charge and could do things his way, he promised to teach these men geometry and show them how to build temples and castles. The lords approved, and Euclid made good on his promise. He gathered the young men together, taught them geometry and building techniques, charged them with the laws and regulations of the craft, and put them to work. In doing so, Euclid spread the science of geometry and the craft of masonry throughout Egypt.
Solomon’s Temple
From Egypt the craft spread to Jerusalem. King David, like Euclid and Nimrod before him, employed and instructed masons, and charged them with the regulations of the craft. David’s son Solomon followed in his father’s masonic tradition. When Solomon got to work on his temple, he employed thousands of masons from many lands.
Some of the Manuscript Constitutions go into great detail about how many masons were set to work on which task, and in what manner whilst building the temple. Others skip through this part of the Traditional History quite briefly. Either way, our current tradition borrows quite heavily from this small section of the legend.
Masonry in Europe
The Traditional History makes a bit of a leap forward in time, mentioning that a Greek artisan, who had descended from Greek masons working in Jerusalem, ended up in France. This unknown Greek mason is given the pseudonym “Namus Grecus”. He educated the men of France in the craft, and caught the attention of Charles Martel. Martel was of royal lineage and loved the sciences. He became a keen student of Namus Grecus, and when eventually he ascended the throne of France, he became a patron of the craft. In this manner Byzantine architecture made its way from Greece to France, and the masonic tradition continued with royal patronage.
Masonry in England
Later, we hear that masonry travelled to England and was governed by St Alban. According to the masonic legend, St. Alban was the steward of the household of Carausius. Carausius was the Roman naval commander who had revolted from the Emperor Maximilian, and declared himself emperor over Britain and northern Gaul.
He employed St Alban to build the town walls. Upon receiving the superintendence of the Craft, St. Alban responded in a similar manner to his predecessors. He treated masons with great kindness, increased their pay, and gave them a charter to hold a general assembly. He assisted them in making Masons, and framed a constitution for them.
Soon after the death of St Alban, England was at war. The result of this was that masonry was stamped out in England until the time of King Athelstane.
Athelstane and Edwin
According to the legend, King Athelstane also loved masonry, and caused many buildings to be erected during his reign. His son Edwin apparently loved the craft even more and became heavily involved with the institution itself.
Edwin collected different versions of the history, science, and charges of the craft from many different nations and cultures, and compiled them into one document. In the year 926, Edwin called together a General Assembly of masons at York. There he shared his knowledge of the craft, read its history, and submitted all present to the charges he had collected. He also declared that from that day forth, at the making of a mason this work must be read.
It is implied in the Manuscript Constitutions that the Traditional History that had just been read was a copy of the document put together by Edwin in 926. Likewise, the charges that were to follow the retelling of the Traditional History were implied to be those laid down by Edwin.
The Charges
Here we come across our first and only bit of rubric in the whole ritual. To distinguish it from the rest of the piece it was typically written in Latin. It roughly translates as:
“Then one of the senior brethren holds out the book and he or they that are to be admitted shall place their hand thereon, and the following Charges shall be read.”8
Once the brethren have placed their hands upon the book, the orator gives a stern warning:
“Every man that is a Mason take right good heed to these Charges & if any man find himself guilty in any of these charges that he amend himselfe before God & in particularly yee that are to be charged take good heed that yee may keep these charges right well for it is perilous& great danger for a man to forsweare himself upon ye holy Scripture.”9
Then the charges were read out. The ones which frequently show up in the majority of the Manuscript Constitutions are along these lines:
Be true to Church and King.
Be true to each other and follow the golden rule.
Treat each other in a respectful and honourable way, and generally behave yourself.
Refer to masons as Brethren
Do not mistreat or make advances on your brethren’s wives or daughters.
Do not take on a job that you are not qualified or able to do.
Do not take on so much work that the quality of your work might suffer, or that deadlines might not be met.
Treat employees fairly and pay them well.
Take no apprentice unless you have enough work for him, and he can serve a term of seven years.
Do not get involved with unlawful or dishonourable activities like gambling.
Do not bring disrespect upon the craft.
Then the orator prompted the brethren being obligated to acknowledge their agreement with the following line:
“These Charges that we have now rehearsed to yu & to all oths here prsent weh belongeth to Masons yu shall well & truly keep to yor powr so help you God & by ye contents of that booke—Amen.”10
Long Story Short
From these manuscripts, the big picture we can put together looks like this:
An opening prayer to the Christian Trinity
A mention of the importance and antiquity of the craft
Praise for the seven liberal arts and sciences, an explanation of them, and in light of their extreme significance, a recommendation to study them
The Traditional History, from the time of the development of the liberal arts, through to the establishment of the fraternity, and
The placing of the candidate’s hand upon the Holy book to swear his obligation to heed the charges of a mason
What Can We Take From This?
The charges our operative brethren submitted to were issued as a practical matter for the good of the construction industry at the time. Still, there are morals we can take from them in a purely speculative context, and apply them to our own lives.
The Traditional History has often been scoffed at and ignored by many masonic students and researchers, merely because it is factually incorrect. The anachronistic sequence of events and confusion of names and locations have seen it deemed, quite unfairly, as a complete waste of time. To the contrary it is invaluable.
Here we have our own mythology; our own romantic rendering of how things came to be. Even if only for the quaint nature of the account, and the sort of character it presents of the craft as a whole, it is worth reading.
For the more inquisitive brother there are two other avenues to explore with our Traditional History. You could become more familiar with each of the characters mentioned in the story, and gain a better insight of the nature of the craft as our ancient brethren tried to depict it. There are enough people and events mentioned in the story, each with their own back story, to keep you reading for a long time.
For the even more inquisitive brother, you could explore the scriptural and historical discrepancies in the story. Discovering the texts that our ancient brethren misunderstood and misquoted from, and unpicking the resulting “Chinese whispers” can present quite a bit of detective work. The end result of such enquiry would be a wealth of historical knowledge, scriptural familiarity, as well as being introduced to some historically significant, but often unheard of literature.
Notes:
The records of the Masons Company of London going back to 1356, and the Halliwell MS dated to around 1390, it would be fair to say that some form of ceremony involving the reading of the Old Charges was in use around that time.
H. Carr, "600 Years of Craft ritual" AQC Vol. 81 (1968) p.157.
Ibid p. 155.
W.J. Hughan, "The Old Charges of British Freemasons" (1872) p. 25. Dowland's MS.
A.G. Mackey, "The History of Freemasonry" vol. 1 (1905) pp. 111-115.
W.J. Hughan, op. cit., p.26. Dowland's MS.
This account of the Babylonian portion of the Traditional History is my own rendering of it. It was taken mostly from the Landsdowne MS, with details filled in from other versions of the MS Constitutions as found in W.J. Hughan's "The Old Charges of British Freemasons". The spelling has also been corrected. My intent was to relate the Babylonian legend of the Old Charges in the style in which they were originally written, without going into explanations of how different versions vary and why.
H. Carr, op. cit., p.155. Where Carr has translated the word "senioribus" as "elders", in the context given I believe it refers to a senior member, and have applied a little creative licence rendering it "senior brethren". The original Latin: "Tunc unus ex senioribus tenent librum, et ille vel illi opponunt manut sub libri, et tunc precepta deberent legi."
W.J. Hughan, op. cit., p.39. York MS. No 1.
Ibid.
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"The Star referred to is the Shekinah or Venus in conjunction with Mercury.
Star family links: - The “Essenes showed every sign of being part of the all-important Star Family priesthood that had survived from the time of Solomon” – no evidence given.
“Simon bar Kochba, the messianic leader of Jews at disastrous 132 CE rebellion was originally named Simon bar Kosiba but took the name “Son of the Star”.
The Rising of the Star Families – families of Jewish priestly line who survived the First and Second Jewish Wars and had migrated to safer climes far away from their Palestine homeland and eventually thus becoming ancestors of some of the European aristocracy involved in initiating the First Crusade, the establishment of the Cistercian Order, the Knights Templar and the Order of Freemasonry.
Some of the European Aristocracy who are believed to be descended from Star Families were – Counts of Champagne, William the Conqueror, St. Clairs (Sinclairs), Plantagenets, Tudors, Habsburgs etc.
Star family had ideals and ideas allied to the ideals and ideas of Norseman – Norse Goddess Freyja = Venus; both had traditions of megalithic structures tracing movement of planet Venus.
The Sinclair family has both Norse and Star Family origins – ultimately descendants such as William Sinclair/St Claire are believed by Knight and Lomas (see The Hiram Key & Lomas see Turning the Hiram Key) to have founded Freemasonry – St Clair/Sinclair built a blueprint in stone for FM at Rosslyn/Roslin – see Shekinah and Rosslyn Chapel above.
The Organization of The Crusades and the foundation of the medieval Kingdom of Jerusalem were Star Family initiatives.
Cistercian Order, Knights Templar and Freemasonry were organizations basically setup by Star Families to further their ideals of world utopia.
Thus, the aims and existence of the Star Families constitutes part of the secrets or mysteries of Freemasonry and its raison d’état.
Much of the above is asserted without justification by any historical documentation and tends to stretch credulity.
One new idea for this reviewer – that modern (i.e. post-Feudal) Switzerland was virtually a construction of the Templars (and indirectly the Star Families) following their dissolution by Philip IV of France. Certainly, there are interesting pieces of circumstantial evidence for this: e.g. the establishment of Swiss banking, the flag (reversed Templar Cross), the neutrality and tolerance of the early Swiss, the coincidence of timing (both Templar disbanding and establishment of independent Swiss state occur at similar time), the textile industry (important Templar activity which became important in 14th and 15th Century Swiss States) and that the Swiss States were a known refuge of French Templars."
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